The present invention is related to a fluid-driven, nutating action appliance, and more particularly to novel arrangements therein for utilizing a portion of the motive fluid for discharge through a utilization device and application to a working surface.
Generally, in a nutating action motor, a housing contains a sphere mounted for universal movement relative thereto, within certain angular limits. An annular plate is integral with or carried by the sphere, and an output device in the form of a shaft or rod extends from the sphere along the axis extending through the center thereof and at right angles to the annular plate to form a wobble plate. The annular plate is slotted at one side and straddles a separating plate which divides the housing in which the sphere is contained. In the operation of the motor, water flows into the housing on one side of the separating plate, travels in a circular path around the housing and leaves through an exit port on the opposite side of the separating plate. Means are provided to maintain a predetermined angularity between the axis of the output rod and the central axis of the housing. Thus, when water is admitted into the housing and travels around it to reach the discharge port, it pushes against the canted wobble plate which assumes progressively changing tilt angles as a result of the continuous water flow. Consequently, the output shaft is moved in an orbital manner which may be mechanically transferred to a utilization device.
A novel and useful nutating action appliance is taught by the applicants' co-pending application Ser. No. 827,625, filed Aug. 25, 1977. In accordance with the invention of said co-pending application, the utilization device is mounted directly upon the output rod of the nutating action motor such that the utilization device itself operates with a nutating, orbital motion. The result is a highly efficient and useful working action for the device, which is a combination of orbital movement and tilting, without rotation. Due to the direct driving connection between the utilization device and the output shaft, the motor may be of extreme simplicity in design. Yet, the device of said co-pending application produces a highly desireable form of relatively low speed, high torque movement, ideally suited for a variety of uses in and around a household workshop or similar work area.
Another example of a nutating action appliance is disclosed in the applicants' co-pending application Ser. No. 848,807, filed Nov. 7, 1977. In accordance with the teachings of said co-pending application, a power toothbrush or the like is characterized particularly by the fact that the toothbrush element is driven in an orbital path. As a specific feature of that invention, the output rod of the nutating action is connected to a wobble shaft through a form of universal drive joint. The wobble shaft is mounted in a handle-forming casing in such a manner that it may be pivoted at a point at which the wobble shaft is secured to the casing. Consequently, the orbital motion of the output rod will be transmitted directly to the wobble shaft to impart an orbital movement to the toothbrush.
In each of the above-described nutating action appliances, it is highly desireable to provide for the application of a fluid to the working surface to facilitate an improved cleaning, scrubbing or brushing action by the utilization device. Accordingly, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a novel arrangement of passage-forming means to divert a portion of the fluid used to drive the nutating action motor directly through the nutating action motor and the utilization device, to the working surface.
As a specific feature of the present invention, a passage is in communication with the main supply line for the motive fluid and extends to an opening in the motor housing arranged adjacent one of the bearing supports for the sphere of the wobble plate. A plenum cavity is formed by the housing and the bearing support and communicates with the opening whereby a portion of the motive fluid is directed above the sphere. The fit between the sphere and the bearing support is sufficiently tight to minimize leakage out of the cavity or from the chamber of the housing into the cavity. The output rod of the wobble plate is of a hollow, tubular configuration and one end thereof opens to the plenum. In this manner, a portion of the motive fluid, diverted from the main supply line, will flow through the output rod and to the utilization device which is directly connected to the output rod, as described. A hollow internal section of the utilization device communicates with the end of the output rod and is connected to exit ports arranged at the working end of the device. The fluid will then be discharged through the exit ports directly to the working surface.
The plenum cavity may be wide so that the hollow portion of the output rod is in fluid communication with the plenum cavity for the entire orbital path of the output rod. Alternatively, the plenum cavity may be of smaller dimensions such that the output rod and plenum cavity are in flow communication for a predetermined fraction of the complete orbital path of the output rod. In this manner, the portion of the motive fluid diverted from the main supply line may be discharged through the utilization device in a continuous or pulsating flow.
For a better understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments and to the accompanying drawings.